HP LaserJet Pro MFP M426fdw: wireless monochrome work and single-pass color scans review

M426fdw combines monochrome output with a capable color scanner

The HP LaserJet Pro MFP M426fdw is an earlier small-office laser with black-and-white printing, copying, color scanning and analog fax. HP's exact US page identifies F6W15A#BGJ and marks it discontinued. This review covers the documented 110–127-volt, 50/60-Hz US configuration. The color touchscreen and color scanner do not mean it prints color documents.

The fdw suffix matters. HP's original matrix gives it infrastructure Wi-Fi, Wi-Fi Direct and NFC in addition to USB and Gigabit Ethernet. It also has a 50-page dual-head document feeder that scans both sides in one pass. The neighboring non-fax dw model's simpler scanner is not substituted for this exact machine.

Choose the network routine that actually delivers your documents

USB can serve a directly connected computer using an actual compatible HP printing and scanning installation. Ethernet or configured infrastructure Wi-Fi can serve the office network. The full scanner software matters: a basic print-only installation is not proof that the computer can save a scan.

For front-panel email delivery, configure a compatible SMTP server, its port and any required authentication, then verify receipt of a real attachment. Scan to Network Folder likewise requires an enabled shared destination, working permissions and compatible credentials. Those network services are not automatically configured by connecting a cable or selecting an access point.

AirPrint requires the Apple device and printer on the same reachable network or subnet. The exact US record also lists Mopria certification. An Ethernet-connected printer can participate while the phone joins the local wireless access point. The guide warns that automatic duplex controls offered by the HP Mac driver might not be available through AirPrint, so this review keeps mobile printing separate from the computer-driver duplex routine.

Wi-Fi Direct creates a local peer printing connection without the office router. Enable it on the printer, identify the correct network and use a compatible mobile printing arrangement. The guide specifically documents Android's supported embedded print solution. This review confirms that print route without extending it to computer scanning, email gateways or every named mobile protocol. NFC assists a compatible device's connection; it is not a scanner.

Paper inputs and scanner originals have separate limits

The included normal-paper inputs total 350 sheets: 100 in Tray 1 and 250 in Tray 2 at the stated 75 g/m² basis. Letter, Legal and A4 are positively supported in both. An additional 550-sheet Tray 3 is optional and is excluded from included capacity.

A separate original HP table checks Letter, Legal and A4 for the automatic print duplexer. Use an actual compatible driver and approved stock, with the correct size and media type. Envelopes and labels have different paths and are not included in the two-sided promise. For envelopes, use Tray 1 only, up to ten, face up with the postage end leading, and follow the instructed size, Envelope type and manual-feed settings.

The 50-page feeder is positively documented as dual-head single-pass duplex hardware. Its stated original range reaches 8.5 by 14 inches, supporting Legal as well as Letter and A4. Color scanning remains available even though printed copies are monochrome. The separate exact glass-size limit was not established in the sources read; the presence of a flatbed is confirmed without extending the feeder's Legal maximum to it.

Fax and private printing need their own hardware conditions

The printer is an analog fax device. HP recommends a dedicated analog line, with the telephone cable connected to the fax socket, the answer mode configured and a successful fax test. Shared or digital-service arrangements require the appropriate documented setup and any needed filters or adapters. A wireless connection does not replace that telephone service.

Job storage and private printing are advertised, but the original guide requires a separately provided dedicated USB 2.0 flash drive with at least 16 GB free space in the rear host port. Removing it disables storage. Formatting, driver setup and a compatible driver are also required. That extra drive is not treated as included, so the reviewed default configuration does not qualify for PIN-held print jobs.

Use recommended workload and inspect the actual unit

HP rates one-sided Letter printing up to 40 pages per minute, separately 38 A4. Those print figures are distinct from scanner pages or images per minute and are not measured performance here. Recommended monthly print volume is 750–4,000 pages; the separate 80,000-page maximum duty cycle is not the recurring target.

The exact US model lists 26A CF226A toner at approximately 3,100 pages and 26X CF226X at 9,000. HP's exact 26X declaration uses ISO/IEC 19752. Check remaining installed toner and maintenance rather than equating nominal yield with usable pages left. Its current US body measurements are approximately 16.54 by 15.35 by 12.72 inches, with extra loading and service clearance needed. A maintained M426fdw can suit a networked monochrome office when its actual scanner software, network services and telephone arrangement are verified.